The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-27
rrE PARIs.EIRE.
Many Dead Bodies Found In the
Ruins.
A Belief That the Deaths Exceed All
Former Estimates.
heartrendIng Stories Of Eye-wit-
nesses-ThriIiing Escapes.

PARIS. MAY 26.-Paris police authorities
state that so far as learned today II persons
lost their lives last night in the fire at the
Opera Comioue. and 10 were burned and
otherwise wounded. 1t is impossible as yet
to search the ruins but when this is done it
is feared that the death list will be aug
mented considerably.
Charles A. Duyiviere. new York mer-
chant, who with his son was in the opera
house when the fire broke out, says that at
the first sign of danger he and his son arose
to leave the theatre. NJ. Taskin, the tenor
of the company, was trying to assure the
audience that there was no danger, but
the burning stage beled his words and moth
ing could stop the wild panic that set in inn
mediately, Mr., Duviviere thinks that ey-
erybody in the main auditorium must have
been fearfully bruised In the crush. He is
positive that many Of the people in the gal
leries were sutf0cated.
W.J. Atres. another New Yorker, who
with his wife and daughter and Mr.. Kut-
ter, occupied box at the opera, says that
two minutes of valuable time were wasted by
those in the audience. The knowledge
of fast-approaching fire in their rear made
frightened people crush and push the
harder. Mr. Ayre's party reached the open
air after terrible experience in the panic
stricken crowd and after many narrow es-
capes from being trampled upon. Mr.. Ayres
thinks the fire must have been burning some
time, as where his party sat the flames were
visible some minutes before the alarm was
communicated to the audience by the acci-
dental discovery of one of the singers.
NJ Taskin, the tenor, says that when he
first saw the fire he thought it was nothing
but what could be extinguished by the EN-
ployeS, and wishing to avert panic he told
andlpnQn keen their
ing from the blazing building he saw many
apparently lifeless bodies In the galleries
About an hour after the fire was discov-
cred the crowd in the neighborhood of the
opera house saw two men jump from the
burning roof. When their dead bodies were
picked up it was found that they were EN-
ployes of the theatre who had evidently been
cut off from all egresS by the flames and
driven to the roof.
The bodies of the ballet dancers who lost
their lives by the fire are lying in heaps in
the ruins of the theatre. The fremen assert
that many bodies are lying in the upper gal
leries.
1t is stated that the number of persons
killed greatly exceeds all previous estimates.
An excited crowd surrounds the rnins,
which are guarded by military Gordon. Many
distressing scenes are witnessed.
At / o'clock this afternoon 20 bodies in
terribly mutilated condition had been re-
covered from the ruins. The remains are
and machinists.
Description of the Burned Theatre.
The Opera Comique was formerly the
Italian Opera. which was destroyed by fire
in 1928. It is located ON the Place des Ital-
lens, and was very handsomely constructed,
with accommodations for 1860 persons. The
front was adorned with handsome porticO
of six Ionic columns. and the edifice, built
almost entirely of stone and iron, was re-
lDAn Ne -.
ment was elliptcal, with three tiers of boxes,
while around the pit was a circle of boxes
and stalls To every second box was attached
a small saloon. elegantly fitted up, and serv-
ing as refreshment room, bell being ar
ranged so as to call for walters. The venti-
lation of the theatre was furnished by fresh
air cooled by ice, forced through the house
by machinery. The light agreeable charac-
ter of the music which early distinguished
the Opera Comique gave place later on, for
while, to more elaborate style, but the dis
tlDgulshing feature of the house has been
the encouragement of the lighter styles of
national music, and to that end it has for
many years received q subsidy of $4,000
from the government. 1t was the oldest
theatre of Paris, and was directed by NJ
CarvalhO.
The remains of three men and two women
were found in stage box, where the victims
had taken refuge. 1t is ascertained that
many bodies lie in the upper galleries,
whence escape was exceedingly difficult. The
government propose to close several Paris
theatres because of deficiency of exit
Late this afternoon the bodies of Is ladies,
all in full dress, werelfound lying together
at the bottom staircase leading from the sec
ond story. These ladies all had escorts to
tee theatre. but no remains of the men were
found anywhere near the women. The walls
of tie theatre began falling this evening and
tearch for the bodies was abandoned for the
day, The library attached to the theatre was
entirely destroyed, with contents. including
many valuable scores. Six thousand cos
tunes were burned.
The search for the bodies was resumed to-
night. A number were exhumed. The Off
cial statement says 55 bodies have already
been recovered.
NJ. Revillon, deputy, speaking in the Cham
Der Of Deputies this afternoon, estimated
that at least 20o persons lost their lives in
the fire. The Opera Comique was insured
for 81, 1,Cc0,co0.
The Chamber of Deputies voted credit Of
2Co0,Cc0 francs for the relief of the sufferers.
Today 1855 missing persons were inquired
for by relatives. 1t is supposed they per-
ished in the flames. The bottom of the the
atre is flooded with water to depth of five
feet Sixty bodies have been found floating
in the water by the firemen.
Among the audience at the Opera Comique
last night were Gen. Boulanger, Gen. Sansier,
Gen. Ihebamlin, NJ. Gobla, NJ Berthelot
and Marquis Ferronais, prefcct of police.
All escaped unhurt. An artist named Phila
performed prodigies Of yalor in saving life.
He mounted a ladder three times and saved
three ddnSeVSes, who had been abandoned
by the firemen. A sudden gust of wind
cleared the dense smoke and woman and
two men were seen standing in an angle of
the upper cornice. The woman tried to
jump but the men prevented her. When all
were finally rescued the woman was raw
ing. A singer had a miraculous escape
from the dressing room in an angle at the
top the building. She says the wind kept
the flame off that part of the building, but a
river of motion lead poured from the roof,
the course of which she diverted with a
board to prevent the weight carrying down
the shaking floor. The officials are endeavor-
ing to underrate the loss of life. Theatre